Friday, April 3, 2026–10:40 a.m.
-Story contributed by John Bailey, Floyd County-
Thirteen people stood on Thursday as proof that recovery is possible, each one representing hard work, setbacks overcome, and goals finally reached.
At the Floyd County Drug Court graduation on Thursday (April 2, 2026), those 13 graduates joined a growing group of 101 people who have completed the program and committed themselves to living drug-free lives.
For Floyd County Superior Court Judge William “Billy” Sparks, who oversees the program, the ceremony was both a celebration and a reminder of what it takes to get there.
“This was our 16th graduation,” Sparks said. “These are 13 amazing graduates, very strong.”
Drug Court is not a quick process. The minimum length of the program is 18 months, but some participants need more time. In this graduating class, one participant spent three years working through the program before reaching graduation day.
That kind of timeline, Drug Court Administrator Cam Parks said, reflects the reality of recovery.
“It’s years of putting in work and, while sometimes stumbling, finally earning success,” Parks said. “It’s significant.”
The ceremony highlighted not only the number of graduates, but also the discipline many of them showed throughout the program. Sparks noted that several members of this class completed Drug Court without receiving any sanctions: no missed meetings, all required assignments turned in, all payments made, and, perhaps most importantly, never tested positive for drug use.
Those details may sound small on paper, but in the context of recovery, they represent consistency, accountability, and daily effort.
Since its beginning, Floyd County Drug Court has built a track record that leaders say speaks for itself. Sparks said only a small percentage of graduates have later committed another felony, while most have gone on to build productive lives for themselves and their families.
For the graduates, Thursday’s ceremony marked more than the end of a program. It marked the close of one chapter and the beginning of another — one built on sobriety, persistence, and the chance to move forward.
As each graduate crossed the stage, the message of the day was clear: recovery is hard-won, but it is possible. And for 13 more people in Floyd County, that possibility has become reality.
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